Clash Between Police and Engineering Students in Shahbagh, Baton Charge and Tear Gas Used

A clash occurred between police and engineering students protesting for three demands in Dhaka. On Wednesday (27 August), around 1:30 PM, police blocked the students’ march toward the Chief Adviser’s residence in Jamuna.

Eyewitnesses reported that when the procession left Shahbagh and reached the Intercontinental Hotel intersection, police set up barricades. A scuffle broke out between the two sides. Police eventually used sound grenades, tear gas shells, and water cannons to control the situation. A baton charge was also carried out to disperse the students.

Several students and police officers were injured in the clash. Naim Mirza, a student of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, said, “I was standing at the front of the march. Suddenly, with a loud noise, something struck my left foot.”

Earlier, at around 11:00 AM, students had gathered at Shahbagh, causing traffic disruptions in and around the area.

Students’ Demands:

1. Diploma engineers should not be allowed to use the title “Engineer” before their name.
   
   

2. No diploma engineer should be promoted to the 9th grade.
   
   

3. Access to 10th-grade jobs should be reserved exclusively for bachelor’s degree engineers.
   
   

Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Ramna division, said, “Discussions were ongoing with the students, and they were advised to stay at Shahbagh. A solution was expected within half an hour. However, during the discussions, the students suddenly moved toward Jamuna and attempted to break the barricade, so they were dispersed.”

He also added that some police officers were injured when the students threw bricks and stones at them.